Solar Powered Window Blinds

I was so impressed when I read about solar-powered window blinds with a dual function!  Not only can they keep the sunlight out to allow you to sleep or keep your interior cool, but they absorb UV light in doing so, and can convert to a solar light when the sun goes down.

The unique vertical blinds designer, Yoon Lee, uses new OLED film technology and dye-sensitized solar cells in each blind panel.  Other materials are natural and organic, truly making the solar-powered window blinds eco-friendly.  These lightweight, flexible window coverings are easy to install and use.

Blight Solar Blinds

There is also a venetian solar powered blinds version, from “Blight.”  Blight solar blinds take solar energy absorbed by the PV panels on the blinds and convert it to electricity that can be used to power small appliances and gadgets.  See the image to the above-right.

With as much sun as our home gets in Central Oregon, I think this is a perfect investment for us!  I like the fact that there is no worry about overheating, or overexposure.  And, I can choose from a wide range of colors and brightness levels.

No word yet on the price for these babies, but arguably they would be eligible for energy savings tax credits or rebates.  Even if you only installed solar-powered window blinds on a few windows, you will probably see difference on your electricity bill!

Liquid Sunshine in Wales

Who says solar panel manufacturers need to be based in sunny locales?  Not Bob Hertzberg, who recently moved operations for G24i from California to Wales!

Some people might think that Hertzberg took a risk in establishing corporate headquarters in a country known more for its liquid sunshine than clear, sunny days.  Even more off the beaten path, G24i manufactures solar panels for third world countries, while it shuns government tax breaks.

I think his marketing scheme is brilliant:

“Hertzberg is building silicon-free solar strips, and says his earliest customers are in the developing world, especially Africa and India. Most solar companies seek government handouts; Hertzberg avoids them like the plague. And while few solar firms would think of bringing their product to a cloudy climate, Hertzberg set up his headquarters in Wales – in part to prove that G24i’s technology can work anywhere.”

Liquid sunshine will not dampen your solar powered bags

Can you believe an upstart solar panel company is making it big in an area of the world known for dirty coal mines and rain?  In fact, G24i is breaking all the rules… perhaps to show that there ARE no rules when it comes to renewable energy.  Herzberg’s success proves that you don’t have to be wealthy or live in a sunny locale in order to tap into solar energy and reduce your carbon footprint.

But why Wales?

A big reason that Hertzberg chose to relocate to Europe is the fact that it has less onerous regulations, and many of the countries are looking to lure renewable energy companies.  As discussed in a recent CNN article:

In 2006, Hertzberg heard about a disused factory in Wales. Acer Computers commissioned the facility but didn’t take full occupancy because of corporate cutbacks. Hertzberg had never been to Wales, but he figured it was close enough to London – two hours by train – that he could tap the British capital’s glut of green investment funding. Also, he wouldn’t have to compete for cash and attention with scores of solar companies on the European mainland.

G24i has designed silicon-free, thin solar strips to fit on anything and everything portable: backpacks, handbags, computer cases and more.  The small solar panels power up all of your gadgets, no matter the weather.  Perhaps more impressive is the fact that the flexible solar film already accounts for 10% of the global market for solar panels, and is expected to spike up to 20% market share in just one year.  G24i is one of the first companies to expand dye-sensitized solar cells to a broad scale production.

Entrepreneurs and investors have a keen eye on G24i’s solar panel technology.  But for those that live in Wales, you are simply advised to grab both your umbrella and your solar powered bag when you head out the door.